The word bhagavāta and . . . Bhāgavata is also in relationship with Bhagavāta or Bhagavān. So every śloka of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of spiritual information. If we take advantage of this great Vedic literature, then we become fully aware of Bhagavān and the devotees of Bhagavān. Therefore it is named Bhāgavatam. But this Bhāgavatam has to be studied from the very beginning and take the lessons from live bhāgavata. There are two kinds of Bhāgavatam—one, this grantha bhāgavatam, and the other is a person bhāgavatam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised that if you want to understand Bhāgavatam, then you must approach a person whose life is bhāgavatam. He said, bhāgavata para-giya bhāgavata sthane that, "If we learn, listen, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the person bhāgavatam, then it is very easy to understand the spiritual knowledge given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam."
So here Ṛṣabhadeva . . . Ṛṣabhadeva was the father of Mahārāja Bharata, under whose name this land is called Bhārata-varsa. Bhārata-varṣa is derived from the name of Mahārāja Bharata. So his father, Ṛṣabhadeva, He is accepted as incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. So He is giving instruction to His sons before retiring. In our Vedic culture there is compulsory retirement. There is compulsory retirement. That is Vedic civilization, varṇāśrama-dharma. What is going on . . . as we are going on in the name of Hindus, but Hindu is not mentioned in the Vedic literature. In the Vedic literature the principles or the institute followed by the inhabitants of Bhārata-varṣa is called varṇāśrama-dharma. That is real occupation.
- varṇāśramācāravatā
- puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
- viṣṇur ārādhyate puṁsam
- nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
- (CC Madhya 8.58)
Whole Vedic civilization means realize God. That is Vedic civilization. Viṣṇur ārādhyate. We are part and parcel of Viṣṇu, or the Supreme Lord. As it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Jīva-bhūtaḥ, these living entities, not only human being but everyone, sarva yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4), in every form of life, the living entities are covered with the material dress.